Ancient Myths
by Shadows of the Soul
Summary: This is about Xiuying and Ziming. Rated R for violence in later chapters.
1. Prologue: Sweet Dreams

Disclaimer: I do not own Shenmue or any of the characters.

  


Please note that Fanfiction does contain spoilers.

  


This Fan Fiction is going on the basis that Ziming is _not_ Lan Di and that Ziming is twenty-nine.

  


Prologue: Sweet Dreams

  


They came from Guilin,

Their paths shall cross the one who seeks vengeance,

Bonded by blood

Separated by tragedy,

When they are ready, they shall meet.

A confrontation predetermined since long-ago.

As the dragon emerges from the earth,

And the Phoenix descends from the heavens,

The pitch-black night will unfold. 

And the morning star will guide them to their fate.

Their battle of light and darkness,

will shake the earth.

As good and evil meet, only one may survive...

_Shenhua Ling_

  


  


_China, unknown location._

  


The room was small and cosy. The dying summers day was cool but the fire roaring beneath the pot gave out enough heat to make the ornate room comfortable. Besides the pot a boy and a girl worked on rolling out some dough. The boy reached into his pocket and brought some out.

"_Look at this, Xiuying"_ the boy said, with a smile. He was young, only around eleven, with brown hair that reached to the bottom of his neck. He was dressed in white, and had a dirt stain on his right cheek. Slowly he opened his hand to reveal a yin-yang coloured bead.

  


The girl, around eight years old with her brown hair done in pigtails, and dressed in blue gasped.

"_Oh, it's so pretty! Where did you get this?"_ she asked.

"_Doesn't matter." _ the boy replied, dissmissevly. "_Give me your hand." _ The girl stretched her hand out straight away, without suspicion. The boy put something in the girls hand. Slowly he extended his hand, showing the black piece of the yin-yang. The girl looked at the white piece she was holding. She brought her hand close to her face, examining the bead. The boy watched her with a smile, before bringing his own hand back and looking at the black piece he was holding.

"_I can have this?" _the girl asked happily. The boy nodded.

_"Yes. Cherish it."_ he told her.

_"I will." _the girl replied, still looking at the bead.

  


_Wise Men's Quarter, Wan Chai.._

  


In the small, dark room all was quiet and still. A clock ticked, second by second, by the small bed. The clock continued ticking, then as the clock hit twelve... With a sudden gasp the woman in the bed awoke, almost slamming into a sitting position. Tears pored down the woman's face, she gave choked gasps repeatedly, the sound echoing around the room, and into the darkness she whispered one word.

_"Ziming"..._

  


Sorry this isn't very long. I don't really have the story laid out in my head yet. I just wanted to write this before I forget the general idea.

  


  



	2. Chapter 1: Dark Memories

Chapter 1: Dark Memories

  


The young woman, unable to get to sleep, stood watching the world through her window. At twenty-six, the woman had developed a sorrowful quality that she had not had when she was eight. She dressed simply, in a red top and brown skirt, her arms folded as she looked out of the window with blind eyes, her pretty face contorted into a frown. Raising her hand, Xiuying Hong, a master of Baij Quan Style, looked at the white bead in her hand, her only link with her estranged brother, Ziming Hong.

  


Closing her eyes Xuiying could remember...Ziming giving her the white part of the bead telling her to cherish it, then the death of their parents, murdered at some unknown opponent, then Ziming left to avenge their parents leaving Xiuying all alone. Her mind went back.

  


Eight year old Xiuying knelt on the rocks, her expression filled with worry and sadness. Ziming sat on the edge, his legs dangling over the side, his expression filled with hate and anger. Their parents had died around five weeks ago, and they had just been told that their parents had been murdered. Xiuying remembered, the news had been to much for her and she had run off crying, while the man dressed in a black suit, talked to Ziming. Ziming had never told Xiuying what the mysterious man in the black suit had said to him, but Ziming wasn't the same after that. He was snappy, and always seemed to be thinking about something. Then four days later Ziming asked Xiuying to go with him to the dry rocks, and that was when the nightmare began.

  


For a while they just stared into the distance, watching the sunset. The Ziming began to talk.

_"Murdered...I will not forgive them!"_ Ziming said.

_"No! Brother, please don't go!" _Xiuying cried.

_"I'm going to find those who killed mum and dad!" _Ziming said.

_"Find them?" _ Xuiying replied, puzzled.

_"The Chi You Men know," _Ziming said.

"_You're going to join them?!" _Xiuying said, urgently.

_"I'll take my revenge even if I have to sell my soul!" _Ziming yelled, standing up

_"No, no! What'll happen to me if I lose you too!" _Xuiying said, tugging on Ziming's white clothes. Ziming bent down.

_"I'll be back, I promise." _Ziming said.

_"No! Please don't go!" _Xiuying cried as Ziming jumped off the rock. "_Ziming!"_ she called. Ziming looked up.

_"Take care of yourself." _ he said as he walked into the distance_._ Xuiying stared after him, and for the first time in her life that look of deep sorrow came into her eyes.

  


Xiuying opened her eyes. For a second it had felt like she really was eight again, watching her brother walk off in to the sunset, down the evil path, which he still walked. Though she had never seen him again, spending her time training in the martial-arts, she had heard about the acts Ziming had performed in his relentless quest to find those who killed their parents. Xuiying raised her hand slightly. She knew what she would have to do eventually, and was that, more than anything else that caused her pain.

_To stop him..._ Xiuying thought, staring at the white comma shaped bead.

  


_Guilin, China._

  


The enormous room was deadly silent. Dark, except for a where a beam of light came to meet the symbol on the floor and gloomy, the silence only made the room more threatening. The exact effect it's occupants wanted for the Head Quarters of the Chi You Men, the Chinese Mafia.

  


In the center of the room a young man, around twenty-nine years old looked at the black comma shaped bead he was holding. It was the same shape and size of the one Xiuying had, except that it was black. The man holding it was dressed all in white; white top, white trousers, and a white sort of skirt. His brown hair hung to below his shoulders, near to his waist. The man's youthful looking face would have been attractive, if it wasn't for the burning hate and anger in his eyes, showing the person inside of him.

  


A young woman around twenty-eight years old came up silently behind him. She was dressed in a ridiculously low-cut red dress, and wore a matching hat of the same colour. She was very pretty, but her eyes held an icy cruelty, which her looks could not dispel. Walking up to the man she smiled flirtatiously, and quickly ran her finger up the man's chest, before stepping back and folding her arms.

"What is that?" the woman asked. The man, Ziming didn't even bother to look around at the woman.

"You don't need to know." Ziming replied coldly, walking off as he spoke. Behind him the woman gave a cold, cruel smirk.

_Make yourself strong, Xiuying! _Ziming thought as he walked. _Stronger than me. Our time will come soon._

  


_Wan Chai_

  


Xiuying replaced the bead in her skirt pocket where she kept it. Folding her arms, she stared out into the stormy night...

  


  


I hope you liked this chapter. I know that the R rating doesn't seem right yet, but the later chapters will get more gory. 

  


  


  


  


  


  



	3. Chapter 2: Cold Truth

Chapter 2: Cold Truth

  


_Man Mo Temple, Scarlet Hills, Wan Chai._

  


Xiuying sighed warily. She had spent the whole night staring out of the window, into the storm, thinking...thinking about life, what it meant to devote your life to the martial-arts. Questions she had been mulling over since her trip back to the orphanage in Kowloon. 

  


She sat in a make-shift chair in one of her favourite spots in Man Mo Temple, the library, a book open wide on her lap. Gently Xiuying ran her fingers over a image of the Phoenix. She sighed again.

_"I always thought...since that day if Ziming was the one...Ziming, my brother..."_ she thought. Wistfully Xiuying remembered Guilin, with it's beautiful scenery and unique features, such as the five colours spring. Xiuying cast her eyes downwards at the sudden pain she felt inside. Carefully, she glanced at her watch, waiting for the evening...for her one chance at preventing another from treading the path of evil.

  


_Chi You Men HQ, Guilin._

  


Ziming stood on the grounds of the impressive, yet sinister building, staring into the distance, his long hair blowing wildly. His cold, murderous eyes swept in the surrounding mountains. From with in the building a long tortured scream of a dying man filtered through the thick walls. Ziming didn't even appear to notice anything unusual.

  


Ten minutes later, the woman in red came up behind him, silently as normal. She reached a hand out...

"Niao-Sun" Ziming said, without emotion. The woman's black eyebrows rose in surprise.

"You heard me?" Niao-sun asked. Ziming didn't say anything. "I'm impressed," Niao-sun purred. She stepped around to stand in front of Ziming. There was a thick streak of blood across her skin which her low-cut dress revealed. Niao-sun seeing the blood smiled insinuatingly. She stroked her dress.

"I need to learn more...restraint. It is too easy to get...excitied while I'm working." Ziming remained silent, watching the mountains. Niao-sun stepped forward and kissed Ziming passionately on the mouth, wrapping her arms around his neck.

  


Ziming broke away from Niao-sun. Niao-sun sighed.

"I have waited eighteen years...soon the wait will be over" Ziming whispered, staring into space.

"We are after the Phoenix Mirror to revive our master, Chi You. Have your revenge, Ziming...but if your desire for revenge gets in our way....you know what will happen." Niao-sun turned and walked back into the building.

  


Ziming walked towards the building, until he was an arms length away from it.

_Eighteen years...I will not forgive the one who killed Mum and Dad!_ The cold murderous fire of hatred flared up in Ziming eyes.

_I will get my revenge! _Ziming thought. Hatred consumed him, he snapped out his arm, hand straight up to slam into the stone of the Chi You Men's Headquarters.

  


_Man Mo Temple._

  


Xiuying snapped her arm out into an iron-palm into the red-leafed tree. Her hand made an impact against the wood of the tree and a shower of red leaves fell from the tree. She had swapped her red top and brown skirt for a blue cheongsam. The dress reached down to her calves yet slits up the top of the thighs gave the martial-artist freedom of movement...and showed off a lot of leg as well. Xiuying glanced at the sky, the sun was setting. Soon she would have to make her move. 

  


Under the starry night, Xiuying stood in the courtyard of the temple, facing the door, waiting. Then she heard footsteps.

_Exactly on time. Important for a legend._ Xiuying thought. Bracing herself, she walked around in a circle. With much movement of her arms she gave an impressive display of martial-arts.

  


Drawing her elbow back, Xiuying launched into one of the more powerful moves of the Bajiquan style thrusting her arms out three times. Straightening up, Xiuying brought her arms into her dress, facing away from the person behind her. The person behind her moved closer. There was a soft thud, like a bag hitting the concrete.

"What was that last move?" a voice behind her asked. 

  


Xiuying spun round to face a young man, hardly more than eighteen. He was clearly Japanese, and had short spiky black hair. He was dressed casually, in blue jeans, with a white t-shirt under a brown leather jacket, which bore a symbol of a tiger on the back.

"One of the Badazhao, of Bajiquan...Demon's Triangle," Xiuying replied.

"Demon's Triangle..." the young man repeated.

  


Out of the shadows a middle aged man, dressed in s white robe and dark trousers, with short, dark hair and began to walk up to Xiuying and the young man

"Hm?" the younger man said. Reaching the young man, the older man offered him a green scroll in a red box.

"The move is explained in there." Xiuying said.

"Take it." the older man commanded, offering the box slightly more forcefully. The man in white then bowed to Xiuying and departed. Xiuying was staring sorrowfully into space. As the young man went over to the bright green travelling bag he had thrown onto the ground, Xiuying glanced at him. 

  


The man straightened and walked towards Xiuying. Xiuying turned so she was facing him.

"You are leaving?" she asked.

"Yes" the man replied. "Lan Di has left for Guilin"

"Guilin" Xiuying said. _So he has already gotten that far _she thought sadly. Mentally she sighed. _I cannot do this...he is a legend...he will survive...I'm sorry_

  


Hating herself Xiuying stepped forward.

"Here," she said, handing him her only link with Ziming, the white bead.

"This is...?" the man asked. Xiuying stared at him as the memories of Ziming giving her the bead came back. Quickly she snapped out of it.

"I don't wish you to follow the same path my brother followed." Xiuying turned so her back was facing the man, so he couldn't see the pain in her eyes. "Striking with hatred and eventually destroying yourself...I don't want you to follow such a path." 

  


The man gripped the bead and placed it in his jeans pocket. 

"I can understand how your brother felt." he began. "You know too, how he felt." At that Xiuying twisted round to face him.

"I won't die..." the man continued. "You brother must be alive somewhere, as well." 

_He still lives...but he has followed the evil path and killed himself...as you will soon know_. Xiuying thought.

  


The man took a step back and bowed. Picking up his bag the man left without another word.

  


Into the shadows Xiuying whispered part of a poem, one which had been recited to her over and over again.

  


_When he is ready, he shall seek me,_

_And we shall walk the rocky path together._

  


_Soon the legend of the Phoenix will begin..._Xiuying thought. She looked at the sky. 

  


_Are you truly ready to brave the rocky path, Shenhua?_

  
  


  


  



	4. Chapter 3: Departure

Chapter 3: Departure.

  


_Yuan Da Apartments, Xiuying's room._

  


Xiuying rubbed her eyes. She had no idea how long she had been standing in the courtyard, staring at the sky. Eventually she had returned to her room, but had only gotten a few hours sleep. She stood at her window, staring at the wintery streets of the Wise Men's Quarter. On her bed lay a large squashy bag, filled with all the essentials needed for a long trip. For once the young martial-artist wasn't wearing either her red top and brown skirt or her blue cheongsam, instead she wore dark trousers, and a light blue, long sleeved, loose fitting top. Turning around Xiuying stared at her room, taking in every detail. She knew that it would probably be the last time she ever saw it.

  


The door to the apartment opened, and a fourteen year old girl, dressed in a purple dress under a blue waistcoat rushed in.

"Master Tao! Please! You don't have to go!" Fang-mei Xun cried. Normally cheerful, Fang-mei looked like she hadn't slept for a week, and seemed dangerously close to crying.

"I cannot allow my brother to continue walking down the path of evil." Xiuying replied.

"You could die!" Fang-mei said

"Yes..." Xiuying said lowering her head.

"What will happen to me...if I lose you too! Please don't go Master Tao!" Fang-mei cried. Xiuying closed her eyes so Fang-mei couldn't see the tears in them. She knew how Fang-mei felt, the same way Xiuying had when she had lost Ziming. She blinked repeatedly to clear away the tears.

"Hanhui will take care of you" Xiuying said emotionlessly, picking up the bag and walking to the door.

"Please...you have to come back...please!" cried Fang-mei. Xiuying turned her head slightly.

"I can't make any promises...take care of yourself." Xiuying said and left.

  


The streets of the Wise Men's Quarter were as cold as they had looked from Xiuying's window. Shivering slightly Xiuying headed for the Yin Tan Apartments in the South Carmain Quarter. Entering the apartments Xiuying walked up a flight of stairs to a door. Before Xiuying had had a chance to knock on the door it opened, revealing an elderly woman dressed in a dark orange robe over dark trousers and a red sleeveless top.

"I was expecting you," Guixiang said. Xiuying nodded.

"I have to do this..." Xiuying said. "I will return....someday,"

"Hm.." Guixiang grunted. "Master Mo will take care of the Temple?" she asked. Xiuying nodded in mute affirmation. Guixiang patted Xiuying's hand.

"It's hard for me to see you go....but I know why you are doing this. Good luck, Xiuying....and you had better come back." Guixiang abruptly slammed the door shut. With a sigh Xuiying prepared herself to say goodbye to the most important place in her life.

  


As Xiuying approached the Man Mo temple she could see the man in white, Hanhui standing in the courtyard, waiting for her.

"You are leaving, Master Tao?" Hanhui asked, raising an eyebrow at Xiuying's clothes.

"Yes" Xiuying replied. 

"Where are you going?" asked Hanhui.

"Guilin." Xiuying said, turning her head slightly and closing her eyes.

"Guilin...." Hanhui trailed off. "I see..."

"I gave away my bead....I wanted to escape...even though I know that I can't. I must do this, I must stop my brother." Xiuying whispered, keeping her head turned to one side.

"I understand." Hanhui said.

"Please take care of Fang-mei" Xiuying said. She bowed slightly to Hanhui, who bowed back.

"Make sure you come home safe..." Hanhui said. He turned around and walked swiftly into the temple. Xiuying stared after him for a second, before she bowed to the temple and walked through the gate.

  


_Fortunes Pier, Aberdeen_

  


Xiuying stared off into the distance, watching the sun sink into the sea. A cold breeze pushed her brown hair into her face, she pushed it back, thinking of how painful all the goodbyes had been. How this may be the last time she would ever see Wan Chai again.

  


_Hanhui_. At first Xiuying had been slightly intimidated by his stern countenance, when she had first met him, all those years ago. She had always respected him, for his kindness and loyalty, just as he respected her for her skills in the martial-arts. He'd been like a father to her, despite an age difference of only sixteen years, trying to help with her dark moods, and constantly supporting her.

  


_Fang-mei_. They had raised in the orphanage together, before Xiuying had been adopted, then when Xiuying had gone to the Man Mo Temple she had taken Fang-mei in. Fang-mei had always been grateful, to the extent that she become practically a servant to the temple. Always cheerful....Xiuying knew that Fang-mei idolized her, knew that by leaving her it was almost the same as being orphaned twice.

  


_Guixiang._ Xiuying's foster mother*. Guixiang had come to Kowloon, and taken Xiuying, had introduced her to the Temple, and also helped her study the Baji Quan style, to prepare for when she would meet Ziming again. Xiuying recalled how sad Guixiang had been when Xiuying left the Yan Tin Apartments, she had said that it felt like they were drifting away from each other and now Guixiang could lose her foster-daughter forever, yet despite this she had still tried to understand.

  


The sound of a engine snapped Xiuying out of her reverie. In the distance she could just make out a ship. The ship that would take her to Guilin, would take her to Ziming. Xiuying sighed deeply.

  


"Everybody get aboard!" The rude shout came from one of the harbour workers. Xiuying looked up, startled. She had sunk so deep into her thoughts, into her sorrow that she had completely forgotten about everything. Quickly Xiuying boarded the ship.

  


Later Xiuying stood on the deck of the ship. The night was pitch-black and the air was freezing. Against the black sky, the stars glittered like diamonds.

_Ziming..._Xiuying thought. _How many years has it been since I saw you...?_

  


Xiuying glanced at the sky, looking at the stars. Her gaze fell on the Big Dipper, where the morning star flickered.

_Now I have to fulfill my part in the legends..._

  


_Guilin, outside of a cave._

  


Ziming stood, at the mouth of a cave embedded in the mountain side. He carried a long, sharp rapier in his right hand. His eyes were filled with the fire of hate, his expression filled with murderous anger. Slowly he looked at the sky, his eyes drawn to the morning star. He frowned.

_She's coming._

  
  


  
  


* According the official website Xiuying had a foster-mother. In the game Xiuying sounds slightly regretful that she had to leave the Yan Tin Apartments, even though the Yuan Da Apartments are much nicer. There is no evidence in the game to suggest that Guixiang is Xiuying's foster-mother, but I thought it would make this story slightly more interesting.

  


  



End file.
